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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 1 July 2022
Peru home build vexed by 'the neighbors' -- Inca-era mummies

By FRANLIN BRICEÑO not harm archaeological
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Hipólito remains.
Tica had saved for de- There Tica, who had little
cades to finally build him- formal schooling, began to
self a proper house in a learn about the Incas and
working class neighbor- other early Peruvian civili-
hood of Lima. His problem zations.
was what to do about "the Building the house correctly
neighbors" — as he called would mean laying a foun-
the centuries-old mummies dation and filling in the hole
buried below. where the bodies were bur-
The mechanic had known ied.
they were there since the "I was worried," he said.
day in 1996 when he tried Friends advised him: "Just
to dig a latrine on the lot, cover it, fill it with cement
which is a few yards (me- and you're ready."
ters) from the El Sauce ar- But "I had a nagging worry
chaeological site on the that people in the future
eastern edge of the Peru- wouldn't know anything
vian capital. about this area. Part of his-
Taking a break from heft- tory is here," he said.
ing bricks, Tica told The As- So he looked up an ar-
sociated Press that he had chaeologist, Julio Abanto
been working to loosen Archaeologists excavate ancient bones and vessels from a previous Inca culture that were dis- of the Ruricancho Cultural
covered by city workers digging a natural gas line in the Brena neighborhood of Lima, Peru, Feb.
the earth with a metal rod 11, 2020. Institute, who was doing
when the ground suddenly Associated Press research in the area, and
began to collapse. told him, "I have a burial
"I got out of there fast as a Like roughly a half million gists who were excavating he said. and I want you to see it."
spider," he said. other people around the Incan ceramics from near- As the years passed, Tico Abanto and his team got
Tica found a flashlight and edges of Lima, he had just by streets where the city and his neighbors gradually government permission for
went to check out the moved in, building a rudi- was installing water lines. won rights to the property an emergency dig.
hole that had opened at mentary adobe structure He said they didn't pay in their new neighborhood, The archaeologist lowered
his feet, some 5 meters (16 on the unoccupied lot much attention. He didn't He planned to build a himself into the hole with
feet) deep and 3 meters without owning a title. So press the issue. house of brick and cement ropes and found three
(10 feet) wide. drawing the attention of So he decided to just co- and along with neighbors bundles, each of which
"I saw some bundles — the authorities to an archaeo- exist with "the neighbors." applied for water and sew- contained more than one
light was bright enough; logical find could cost him He covered the hole with age service — which re- individual — it's not yet
they were funerary bun- a home. an old door, a carpet he quired approval from the clear how many —belong-
dles," he said. In spite of that, he said he pulled out of an old car Secretary of Culture and ing to a culture within the
He wasn't sure what to do, broached word of the dis- and a layer of dirt. a local museum to ensure Inca empire more than 500
who to tell. covery to some archaeolo- "Nobody noticed the hole," to ensure that they would years ago.q
Biden: Court ruling on Roe 'destabilizing,' U.S. still leading

of a five-day foreign trip filibuster rules, which re- updated what is essentially
to huddle with NATO allies quire 60 votes to pass most its mission statement was 12
in Madrid and the leaders legislation, to allow bring- years ago, when Russia was
of the Group of Seven ad- ing a bill extending nation- characterized as a partner,
vanced democratic econ- wide abortion protections and the document didn't
omies in the Bavarian Alps, to pass by simple majority, even mention China. The
which came as the nation although Democrats don't new document hammered
was still grappling with the have sufficient votes in the out at the summit changes
fallout from Friday's Su- Senate for that. that.
preme Court decision. The three-day NATO summit "The world has changed,
"America is better posi- included the Biden admin- changed a great deal
tioned to lead the world istration announcing plans since then," Biden said. "This
than we ever have been," to permanently bolster the summit was about strength-
Biden said. "But one thing U.S. military presence in ening our alliances, meet-
that has been destabilizing Europe, an agreement be- ing the challenges of our
President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference on the is the outrageous behavior tween Turkey, Finland and world as it is a day, and the
final day of the NATO summit in Madrid, Thursday, June 30, 2022. of the Supreme Court of Sweden to pave the way threats we're going to face
Associated Press United States in overruling for the accession of Nordic in the future," Biden said.
not only Roe v. Wade, but nations into NATO, and the Biden also highlighted an-
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and maintained the ruling does essentially challenging the alliance updating its stra- nouncements at the G-7
ZEKE MILLER not affect U.S. standing on right to privacy." tegic concept reflect that meeting, including more
Associated Press the world stage as he took He added: "I could under- China's "coercive policies" economic and military as-
MADRID (AP) — President credit for modernizing the stand why the American are a challenge the West- sistance to Ukraine as it
Joe Biden said Thursday transatlantic alliance to people are frustrated be- ern bloc's interests. aims to beat back Russia's
that the Supreme Court's adapt to new threats from cause of what the Supreme "I think we can all agree four-month invasion, and
decision ending a consti- Russia and China. Court did." that this has been a historic announcements on tough-
tutional right to abortion Biden was speaking to re- Biden said he would sup- NATO Summit," Biden said. er sanctions meant to pun-
is "destabilizing," but he porters at the conclusion port changing the Senate He noted the last time NATO ish Moscow.q